Vitamin D: Can You Afford To Be Deficient?

Vitamin D impacts our health from immunity to heart health. Here is an update on some vitamin D studies in recently published articles:

• Supplementing with vitamin D was associated with a lower rate of rhinovirus infection (the most common virus causing colds) in asthmatic children compared to children who were not supplemented.¹
• Crohn's disease patients had significantly lower vitamin D blood levels than healthy controls.²
• Tuberculosis patients were twice as likely to have vitamin D deficiency compared to patients without tuberculosis.³
• Vitamin D deficiency is associated with elevated oxidative stress across multiple age groups.⁴
• Patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo who received conventional treatment plus vitamin D and calcium supplementation showed a lower rate in the annual recurrence of vertigo attacks compared to those who received conventional treatment only.⁵
• Coronary artery bypass patients supplemented with acute dosing of vitamin D (150,000 IU of vitamin D daily for three days) before surgery had significantly lower indicators of heart cell death.⁶
• Higher vitamin D blood levels were associated with a better response to the hepatitis B vaccine. However, vitamin D supplementation starting on the third day following vaccination was not associated with a better vaccine response compared to controls.⁷
• A review of the scientific literature concluded that there is convincing evidence that vitamin D supplementation is valuable for the treatment and prevention of erectile dysfunction.⁸

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1. Jartti T, Liimatainen U, Xepapadaki P, et al. Clinical correlates of rhinovirus infection in preschool asthma. Allergy . 2021 Jan;76(1):247-54.
2. Yang Y, Cui X, Li J, et al. Clinical evaluation of vitamin D status and its relationship with disease activity and changes of intestinal immune function in patients with Crohn's disease in the Chinese population. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2021 Jan;56(1):20-9.
3. Jaimni V, Shasty BA, Madhyastha SP, et al. Association of Vitamin D Deficiency and Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Pulm Med. 2021;2021:5285841.
4. Camara AB, Brandao IA. The relationship between vitamin D deficiency and oxidative stress can be independent of age and gender. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2021 Jan;91(1-2):108-23.
5. Jeong SH, Kim JS, Kim HJ, et al. Prevention of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo with vitamin D supplementation: A randomized trial. Neurology. 2020 Sep 1;95(9):e1117-e25.
6. Tasdighi E, Hekmat M, Beheshti M, et al. Vitamin D Treatment Attenuates Heart Apoptosis After Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol Ther. 2020 Jul;25(4):338-45.
7. Kashi DS, Oliver SJ, Wentz LM, et al. Vitamin D and the hepatitis B vaccine response: a prospective cohort study and a randomized, placebo-controlled oral vitamin D3 and simulated sunlight supplementation trial in healthy adults. Eur J Nutr. 2021 Feb;60(1):475-91.
8. Canguven O, Al Malki AH. Vitamin D and Male Erectile Function: An Updated Review. World J Mens Health. 2021 Jan;39(1):31-7.